"That man was back," Mrs Macfarlane had heard my return.
I immediately knew who she meant. "Mr Turnbull?"
"Yes." Mrs Macfarlane glared at me. "And you know what I think about him."
"I do," I said. At that moment everything was getting on top of me. With the blackmail threat and now Gibbie Elliot in jail, I could not cope with any more. Once more I contemplated escaping back to India.
I closed my eyes. No. I would not allow them to win.
"Mrs Macfarlane," I said, and before I realised what I was doing, I was telling her about my troubles, or at least part of them. I told her about the blackmail without giving her the reason behind it, and I told her about Gibbie in the Tolbooth on the word of Turnbull. Mrs Macfarlane listened, nodding at all the right places.
"All right, Miss Flockhart
